Piano chart portfolio



Jan. 12, 1932. J. J. A PFFEI.

PIANO CHART PORTFOLIO Filed oct. 14, 19:50

j Invena Jm Jose ph 7p/7231 Patented Jan. 12, 1932 y JOHN JOSEPH APFFEL, F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

PIANO CHART 'roR'rFoLIo 1 Application mea october 14,1930, ,serial No.. 488,581.

Piano charts are in common use for finger practice of beginners in piano music an comprise a central stiff plate and two stiff fold-over leaves hinged together, end to end,

and printed to represent the keyboard of a piano forte, and such charts are used to enable beginners in piano forte practice to aC- custom their fingers `to subconscious control.

By means of such charts, a considerable l@ number of pupils in charge of one teacher can practice the fingering at the same time that another pupil is being taught'at the piano, thus by turns, all the pupils are kept at practice throughout the lesson period.

The usual equipment for each pupil consists of a chart printed to represent the keys on a piano keyboard, two thin books containing the practice lessons and a rack to be set up on the pupils desk or table to hold the 29 books in position for the pupil to keep the eye upon during practice.

It has been customary supplied with the music books, a folding finger-board chart, a folding rack, and an envelope for the same so that the equipment may be carried from home to class and return.

There are various inconveniences, difficulties and items of expense accompanying the present arrangements, and an object of this 30 invention is to eliminate or minimize the same.

One difliculty in present practice is the likelihood that the pupil will displace and lose parts of the equipment because of the inconvenience of putting the various parts in the envelope; the inconvenience of disposing of the envelope during practice periods, and the wearing out and tearing o envelopes, necessitating frequent envelope relacements.

Another objection arises from the time and attention required to properly arrange the music rack and the fingering chart, and the likelihood of accidental relative displace- 5 ment of parts.

An object of the invention is to avoid such objection and to enable the pupil to quickly set up the equipment for lesson work, and to o as quickly assemble the. equipment lnto a 5 portfolio form for carrying and storing.

for the pupils to bethe i lAnother. object is to provide the pupil with a music rack that ,will be so stablefthat ywhen' the practice bookk is placed thereon,

such pressure may be applied thereto as may be necessaryl to flatten the same into the'rack, 5l without displacing the parts of the equipment.v 'Y j i "."f Durability, jcheapness, fine appearanceand good 'protection to themusic books and: also lto-chord-inder and key-finder cardsthat usually accompany the fingering chart, are other objects. Y lVAnother object is to enable the work of opemng out and setting up the equipment, and also of folding up, to be accomplished in `5 the class room wlthout confusion 1andV disturbance." i

.. Other objects, advantages and features of invention 'mayappear from the accompany- .w

ing drawings, the subj oined detailedvdescrip- "m tion and the appended claims. The.accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. v l

` Figure 1 isA a top edge view of a piano chart F portfolio emb dying the invention and in "f5 foldedl position. Y

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same'unfolded and :set up for use.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the set-up shownl in Fig'. 2, with a showing in broken lines ofthe (80 rack members attened out; one leaf of the chart being folded and its unfolded osition lshown in dot and dash lines; a chor -finder card is shown stored in the partly folded chart. f 'L85 Fig. 4 isan enlarged fragmental detail of the joint between the chart and rack back. Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmental edgefdetail of the joint between the rack back and I v ,t ,w

its abutment.

The portfolio comprises six stiifplate-like sections including the rectangular stiff main body 1, and the folding-sections, 2, 3, of the usual piano finger board chart, and three (W other sections' comprising the rectangular "95 music stand back 4 hinged at one edge to the main body 1 of the chart, and two abutments or sections 5, 6, hinged to the ends of the back 4, so that when the back is aslant above the level of the chart laid out upon a flat surm0 i face, the abutments will support the back at a slant determined by the spread of the abutments.

Stays 7, 8, which may be formed of two ends of a ribbon secured in a hole 9 in the free margin of the back and adapted to be passed through a like hole l0 in the free margin of the main body 1, so that when the portfolio is closed as in Fig. 1, it may be tied shut by the two tie ends that form the stays.

The rear or free edges of the abutments are provided with slots 11, forming retainers for the stays which are knotted as at 12 to catch on the margins of notches to hold the abutments at the predetermined angle to hold the back 4 at the appropriate slant.

The hinges between the several stiff plates or ysections constituting the portfolio frame are formed of the cover material and are of different widths an-d arrangements.

The outside cover sheet 13 is flush with the outer surface of the main body 1, and the rack back to form the main hinge 14, and the buttress hinges 15 are flush with the inside faces of the rack back and the abutments so that the abutments fold flat onto the front of the rack back. v

The key cards 16 and 17 are adapted to lie diagonally across the face of the main body l of the chart, and the first book 18 and blank music book 19 may be placed against the back before the abutment sections 5, 6, are folded into place. Then the rack back and main body will be brought to closed position and fastened with the ties.

I claim l. The piano chart portfolio comprising a main chart body, end chart folds hinged to the ends of the main body; a book rack back hinged at its lower edge to the rear edge of the main body; abutment sections hinged to the ends of the rack back and adapted to be swung to the rear to serve as supports for the back, and to the front to fold between the back and the folded chart, and stays to determine the spread of the abutments.

2. The piano chart portfolio comprising a main body, end chart folds hinged to the ends of the main body; a back hinged at one edge to the main body; stays formed of two ends of a ribbon secured in a hole in the free Inargin of the back and adapted to be passed through a like hole in the free margin of the main body so that when the portfolio is closed, it may be tied shut by the two tie ends that form the stays.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 8th day of October, 1930.

JOHN JOSEPH APFFEL. 

